


Ten Things that Changed Because Shikamaru was Shikako

by Jemsquash



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex, Gen, Genderbending, subtle changes to canon, that start to become less subtle as we go on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-14
Updated: 2016-11-27
Packaged: 2017-12-08 11:28:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/760828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jemsquash/pseuds/Jemsquash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Nara clan does not have daughters. And no one is more put out about it than Shikako. If everyone could just forget her gender and let her cloud watch in peace, then everything would be great.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Before the Team Assignments

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work that has played on my mind for years, even as I drift out of the Naruto fandom. Please don't laugh too hard.

1.) Yoshino had been told from the beginning that Naras only had boys. So she smiled and decorated the nursery in green and white, accepted the clan’s hand-me-down baby things and helped pick a name from the family tree to reuse. It was only when her baby girl was placed in her arms that she realized how much she wanted a daughter. It was a pity she didn't have time to think of a better name for her.

 

2.) Shikako and Ino were best friends when they joined the Ninja Academy at five. They were best friends mostly because of all the time they had spent together due to their fathers being on the same Jounin team. It was inevitable that with the option of other girls to socialize with they would gradually grow apart. Still, Shikako considered the day Ino showed up at the park with Sakura hiding behind her to be the worst day ever.

 

3.) Because she was a girl, Chouji told her that at school they couldn’t sit together. The others would laugh, and all Chouji wanted in life was to fit in. So Shikako sighed and resigned herself to the girl side of the class while Chouji did his best to befriend the boys. Shino ended up with a quiet compassionate best friend who never flinched at his bugs and Chouji had someone who fended off bullies just by looking at them.

 

4.) Shikaku was always a bit embarrassed about his daughter. Sure the guys finally stopped making jokes about his masculinity a year or so after Shikako’s birth, but the girl wasn’t even that girly. She just stared at him when he brought home little gifts of hair bands and soft toys. (Inochi did it for Ino, and she loved them!) The first positive reaction to a gift he got was when he brought home a lightweight go kit, for his aging father’s shaking hands to use. Shikako had seen it and her brown eyes had lit up. She and Shikaku were playing proper games on it by the next night.

 

5.) Shikagawa had been upset that his six-year-old granddaughter had run off with his go kit, until she played a match against him. After that she was the only kid allowed to play on his old go gizo. He also refused to remove Shikako from the line of succession. “There’s plenty of time for that later,” he said, “If we disinherit her without a real reason, the village medical board could use it as a reason to discredit our research. Those political flunkies’ll say that such misogynistic ideals can’t come from rational minds and that our findings must be biased.”

 

6.) The Nara clan was average sized with homes scattered over the village. The men tended to have the same set of physical features: brown hair and eyes, high foreheads and sharp noses, lanky frames that gradually gained potbellies as they aged. They all preferred to wear simple clothes of green and brown and never groomed more than they had to. The Nara wives came in all colours and types, personalities and opinions. The only thing they had in common was that each felt they had advice and skills that Shikako, the only daughter of the clan, had to learn.

 

7.) Shikako took Kunochi lessons, like every other girl in the academy. Her feelings on the subject were mixed. She had been helping her mother with the housework since she could walk, and had been sent out to help other Nara wives since she started at the academy. That stuff was boring to learn again in class. But learning the kunochi side of things, that was interesting. Learning how to send messages using flowers and fans and gestures. How to look like a girl while being a weapon. How to see without being seen. That was stuff Shikako could learn to enjoy.

 

8.) Shikako loved to cloud watch. To sit in long green grass and stare up at an endless sky of blue and white, with the occasional leave or bird and simply exist, with nothing to do but breath and think. But…  
((“Well brought up girls do not lie on the ground and dirty their lovely clean clothes.” Scolds a great-aunt, pulling her up and roughly brushing twigs and insects from her skirt.

“Since you have nothing else to do, could you run to the shop and get me a few things Shika-chan?” asks a sweet tempered cousin by marriage.

“What are you doing? You’ll get all wrinkled and brown and we’ll never marry you off.” Irritating boy cousins call.

“A woman’s work is never done and the sooner you learn to think while you work, the better.” Her mother declares as she drags Shikako home to clean her room. ))  
Shikako rarely got the chance to cloud watch in peace.

 

9.) When Shikako turned eight her dad started teaching her the family jutsus. Tried to teach her, at least. No matter how many times he showed her the signs, no matter how patiently he went through the forms, nothing happened except Shikako whimpering about how it hurt to focus on her yin chakra. And when Shikaku told her to push through the pain, (What pain? Girls were so weak sometimes) she passed out.  
Later Shikako regained consciousness in one of her uncles’ small clinics, the sound of her mother verbally abusing her father in another room telling her what had happened. There was a reason the Nara clan have no daughters.

 

10.) When Sakura announced she was in love with Sasuke, Shikako was smug in her happiness. Ino and Sakura’s friendship fell apart and Ino spent much of her time with Shikako sulking, an activity Shikako excelled in. At the back of her mind Shikako worried that the fact that she didn’t really find Sasuke that great meant there was something wrong with her.

 

And one thing that did not change:

There were many difficult cases in Iruka’s class.

Kiba’s tough-love mother was often away on missions and his sister was swamped in Veterinary-nin training, thus Kiba ran almost as wild as Naruto, the poster-kid for lack of adult supervision. Sakura seemed to think if she got A’s for every theory test her practical marks would magically improve. Shino was as anti-social as any member of the Abrume clan but he dragged Chouji away from others as well. Hinata alternated between competing desperately with Sasuke and hopelessly giving up when he couldn’t do something right the first time. Sasuke had his own pile of issues. Shikako with her average marks, average performance and average outlook on life quietly went through the system.


	2. The First Six Months of Team Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Usually this would be the time a new team got to know each other and how to work together. But for Team Ten it was the time Asuma took to try and get them motivated. Somehow.

1.) Shikako should have guessed that she, Ino and Chouji would be on a team together. Members of their clans were grouped together whenever possible, the Akimichi-Nara-Yamanaka grouping being such a success for capture and retrieval teams. Konoha was not going to stop a good arrangement just because two girls were on the same team. It was only after their names had been called, Shikako realized with sinking horror, that no one outside her clan knew she couldn’t perform the Shadow Bind and would never learn any of her family’s jutsu.

Thus, while every other graduate in Shikako’s class got a celebratory meal with their families, she got an emergency clan meeting with her extended family.

Asshole Uncle Shikachi tried to convince the elders that now would be a great time to disinherit her and let him assume her place as heir. Well-meaning Cousin Hiroya thought she should quit as a shinobi altogether and become a nurse or something that was nice and safe. Ambitious Uncle-Once-Removed Yachi said they should really be preparing her to marry well; the clan had never had a girl born into the clan before and needed to use her wisely. Grandfather Shikagawa patted her knee comfortingly, while she fought down her nerves and indignation.

Traditionally the women of the clan stayed in the kitchen, out of the council room. But it was amazing how many of the wives felt they needed to refill their husbands' and sons’ glasses every few minutes. And how many times they bumped or kicked their men when they started to say something or agree with someone else. Yoshino just needed to shoot a look at her husband and daughter, to keep them silent. Shikako felt a flicker of hope, and lifted her shoulders from their habitual slouch.

 

2.) “Gentleman, if we could stick to the topic at hand,” said Shikagawa loudly, over the sound of a dozen separate conversations. “The question is, without the advantage of our clan’s jutsu, can Shikako still fulfill her role in a team?”

“She did graduate from the academy with the skills she has.” Pointed out Shikaku. “Kohana considers her worthy to be a shinobi. Who are we to question the Hokage’s decision?”

“He was under the assumption that she would have her clan’s skills and knowledge to back her.” said Shikachi to his brother.

“There are other things we can teach her.” Said Uncle Hiroya, “Pharmacy, healing, other civilian skills. Jutsu are not the only thing we can offer our children.”

“Don’t you think everyone is panicking over nothing?” asked a new voice. Aunt Masuyo, one of the few kunochi to marry into the clan and remained active as a shinobi, stood leaning against the kitchen doorframe. Her husband, a fellow jounin scowled, but made no move to silence her. “She’s just starting out as a genin, how serious a mission can her team get?” She gave Shikako a smirk, “If she finds she can’t cope, then I’ll be happy to train her a bit.”

“You would?” asked her husband in surprise.

Masuyo shrugged at him. “Not like I’ve daughters of my own to train.” She shoved herself off the doorframe and walked back into the kitchen.

The meeting ended awkwardly after that, with Shikako still a shinobi and the heir.

 

3.) All the panic turned out to be for nothing. When Shikako told her new team that she would never learn the Shadow Bind they were very nonchalant about it. “That’s too bad,” said Chouji and offered her some chips.

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll have the Mind Possession mastered in a month,” said Ino, polishing her new set of kuni.

Their new teacher Asuma was more constructive. “It will make things harder for you, not having your family techniques to fall back on, but maybe we’re better off. Your families’ combo is getting pretty famous, a different approach could throw off an experienced shinobi.” He gave Shikako a considering look. “But what can you do instead?”

 

4.) What could Shikako do? She could read a paper test, calculate exactly how much of it she needed to fill in to pass then sleep through the rest. She could look at a sparing partner and know if pouting and crying would make them go easy on her or irritate them.She could do all the chores the Nara wives asked of her, down to all the different ways they each liked to have their laundry folded and could understand five languages well enough to read out loud letters from their families while they worked. She could do anything on the academy syllabus, backwards in her sleep, and not much else. Just little stuff she picked up along the way.

“She’s good at stealth things,” said Ino flippantly, “And the planning and guesswork side of things.” She reached out and pinched Shikako’s puffed out cheek. “She won’t slow us down.” Asuma wasn’t sure if that was a threat or an assurance.

 

5.) Missions were weird, a strange mix of familiar chores with her life long friends and a new sense of duty and importance as an unfamiliar shinobi judged them. They were slow in warming up to Asuma, though he was a good teacher.

Shikako got the impression that he was a bit put out by his two-girl team, more at ease with physically correcting Chouji’s stances than her’s or Ino’s. Team Ten already worked together almost seamlessly, following Ino’s lead unless Shikako saw an easier way to do something or Chouji felt a kinder route would work better.

But Asuma was always telling Ino to slow down, Shikako to work harder and for Chouji to stop playing the mediating middle and be more forceful. Sometimes they listened, but most of the time they did not.

 

6.) The boys of the Nara clan told her she was spoilt, that she never had to do the really messy jobs like slaughtering and butchering the deer, or really tiring night-time clan training or really boring hour-long clan meetings. Shikako wanted to know if they thought helping the does with birthing was any less messy or that house chores at the crack of dawn were any less tiring. She also wanted to know if they didn’t see her in every clan meeting, on her aching knees whenever she wasn’t pouring water or sake for her spoilt male relatives.

 

7.) “Do you think we’re being punished for something?” asked Chouji, as Team Ten stagger around the corner with another load of garbage bags.

“For what? We’re wonderful students.” Huffed Ino, holding her two bags out in front of her, her nose crinkled in disgust.

Shikako gave a neutral hum at her words. Asuma was still trying to find ways to motivate them. Food worked on Chouji, compliments and mission money spurred Ino on, but Shikako could not bring herself to work any faster than she had to. Why do any more than the bare minimum, she pondered as she dragged her single garbage bag. They would be paid the same amount regardless of energy spent and her shinobi skills were improving gradually, what incentive was there to speed up?

Dropping the bags at the dump they turned back to get the rest. A shortcut led them through a courtyard fill of shogi player intent on their games. Pre-preemptively Ino and Chouji grabbed Shikako by the arms to prevent her from stopping to watch.

“Just five minutes!” she whined craning her head to catch a glimpse of the boards. “That player at the back is interesting!”

“If you finish within the next ten minutes, I’ll introduce you.” Asuma offered, suddenly appearing on the bench they were passing, newspaper tucked under one arm.

“Deal.” Five minutes, a bribed cart owner, and a mission completed later, Shikako was playing against a 1 _dan_ , while Chouji snacked on fresh melon and Ino calculated their earnings. Asuma was just glad his Fire Monk friend had been in town the week he worked out Shikako’s bribing point.

 

8.) Shikako had been bullied into helping her cousins train, when she discovered something weird. No matter how they tried, they couldn’t catch her in a Shadow Bind, even when all three genin tried together.

Aunt Masuyo’s husband came across them, the boys cursing and straining and Shikako standing and looking bored. He sent the boys scurrying for the deer fields and tried it for himself. Nothing.

“Don’t freak out or anything.” Kada said causally, forming a different set of seals, “I’m going to try something else, a different technique.” His shadow edged towards her once more, but climbed up her legs instead of going to her own shadow.

Shikako tried to start away from it, it felt strange, causing goose bumps on her skin. “Relax, this won’t hurt at all, your dad’ll kill me if I really tried to strangle you.”

At that, and the realization of what this technique was usually used for, Shikako gave a full body flinch and focused her chakra as she did to clock her presence. The shadow hands phased right through her, back onto the ground like any other shadow.

“Well,” said Kada, putting his hands down and looking at her with speculation, “That’s interesting.”

 

9.) When Team Ten finally got their first C rank mission it was a long dusty trek to the middle of nowhere, disguised as a mail run with Team Eight. Ino made a valiant argument that Team Seven, or just Sasuke on his own, would be a much better choice, but she was ignored.

Chouji was happy to reunite with Shino and Ino struck up an argument/conversation with Kiba, leaving Shikako to awkwardly talk to Hinata. Hinata Hyuuga who took this mission as seriously as he took his clan pride, walking purposefully in his usual white outfit, regardless of the hours of dirt and sweat it would have to undergo. By the time they reached their destination no one would be able to make out the colour of his long hair, let alone the large crest under it. Shikako felt a tinge of pity for the women of the Hyuuga clan. White as the clan colour must make laundry an absolute nightmare.

 

10.) “I know you’re all feeling tired after yesterday’s travel and deliveries.” Said Kurenai as six sleep deprived genin lined up in front of her. “But the mission was a success.” Tired whines and grumbles of disbelieve met her remark. “It may not seem important, bringing mail and parcels to an out of the way village. But it means a great deal to these people and you did your duty wonderfully.” Kurenai smiled at them softly and Shikako felt a pang, wishing this sweet kunochi was her teacher.

“Now we have just enough time to warm up our muscles; let’s climb that hill, do a few push ups, sit ups and stances then jog down again and start the journey home.” Kurenai clapped her hands. She and her team disappeared into the distance, towards a looming mountain. Team Ten remained stock still, turning only their heads to stare at a sheepish Asuma.

“You kids heard her, off you go.” They remained where they were, staring in disbelief. “There’s no harm in warming up and you could all use some stamina training.” Ungracefully, complaining as they moved, Team Ten allowed Asuma to shoo them after the others.

By the end of the day, when they sighted the Konoha walls Chouji had resorted to half a spinach pill for energy, Ino had risked a lick of the other half and Shikako had whined and whimpered her way into a piggyback ride from Kiba.

Asuma increased their training sessions dramatically after that.

 

And one thing that did not change;

 

1.) “So,” Ino crouched down between her teammates as they sorted through moldy scrolls on yet another D mission. “The Chunin exam is coming up.”

“Way to state the obvious Ino.” Muttered Shikako as she hefted paper out of a cobweb-ridden shelf. Their families, both the nin and the civilian sides, had spoken of little else lately. “Uncle Hiroya is angling to get me to work in his clinic, deal with the extra patients we’ll get from the tourists.”

“And Daddy wants me to take extra shifts in the flower shop. But that’s not going to happen. Want to know why?”

Chouji and Shikako shrugged half-heartedly. Ino would tell them whether they cared or not.

“Because we’ll be in the exam ourselves,” Ino smiled triumphantly, then gasped when a spider dropped onto her hand unexpectedly.  
“I don’t know how you think Asuma is going to agree to that,” said Chouji, rescuing the spider before could Ino slap it and putting it back on an empty shelf.

“It is taking place in Konoha this time,” said Shikako thinking it over. “Safer to do our first attempt at home, with our families in easy reach.” Easier to quit if it got too tough, she thought to herself, no pressure to push on through injuries and setbacks.

“But that means they'll be able to watch us the whole way through.” Complained Chouji, “Our parents will know every mistake we made before we even finish.”

“All the better to help you improve,” came Asuma’s voice from a top the scroll shelf. He jumped down beside his surprised charges. “Your stamina and techniques are all improving and your teamwork was always above average.” He paused as Ino smirked triumphantly. “But every one of you takes short cuts and isn't working at your full potential. Hopefully this exam will serve as an eye opener to you.”

Asuma left them, his mood sober.

“We’re going to the Chunin exams!” cheered Ino, although her heart wasn’t really in it. Shikako buried her head in her hands and gave a heartfelt whine. This was going to be so troublesome.


	3. The Chunin Exams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Ten take the exam, with no one really expecting them to get far. And that was before anyone knew exactly how strong - and in some cases, crazy - the other teams were.
> 
> But practice in subtly and sneaking will never go to waste, right?

1.) The plan had been for Team Ten to enter the exam room discreetly and quietly wait for the exam to officially start. They did have the homeground advantage and felt safe enough. But they were, as their parents had repeatedly stressed, rookies and should take care not to draw attention.

Then Team Eight joined them in their corner, each boy trying to out do the other two in showing off their clan symbols. As if the Hyuuga eyes, Inuzuka dog and Aburame bugs softly buzzing under a heavy jacket did not make it clear which families they belonged to.

And then Team Seven arrived, highly visible with a bright orange outfit, a red dress and a prominent Uchiha symbol to round out the loud noise they made. Shikako resisted the urge to groan, who let these kids in here without making them change? What kind of parents did they have? Then she remembered they were a civilian raised girl and two orphan boys and felt guilty.

 

2.) Shikako already suspected something was up, before she looked at her test paper and had her suspicions confirmed. She could not answer any question after 4 and she doubted any of the other rookie teams could either. Well, Sakura probably could, little teacher’s pet that she was, but knowing the answers was not the aim of this test. The aim was to cheat.

Ino must have been thinking along the same lines, because just as Shikako started to worry about not finishing in time she felt the familiar sensation of Ino’s chakra gently ghosting over her mind. Her neck hairs rose, even as she forced herself to relax and let Ino enter unchallenged.

Instead of Ino taking over her body, a memory of Sakura’s test paper appeared in Shikako’s head. For a moment she had the knee jerk reaction to refuse using Sakura’s answers, to demand Ino steal from someone else. But it was an immature urge and she suppressed it. There was no time and no real reason to be jealous of Sakura, Ino was _her_ best friend and they had an exam to complete.

Once Ino knew Shikako had the answers memorised she released the Mind Possession and focused on Chouji. Again Shikako felt a pang of guilt. If she could perform the Shadow Bind she could have helped. Instead she just wrote the answers and enjoyed Naruto’s second dramatic speech of the day. At least he seemed to be enjoying himself.

 

3.) Shikako had showed up to the exam with every advantage her clan could give her. No effort had been spared in her clothes, her weapons or her provisions. She had felt confident and prepared, until she saw Ino and Chouji dressed in their usual gear and realized she was over prepared.

But when the second adjudicator started going on about death forms and five days in the Forest of Death she felt much better.

Just before they were lead to their respective gates Ino and Sakura had to wish each other good luck in their own unique fashion.

“…I thought you would have washed out of the program by now. Your big forehead alone should have gotten you tossed.” Ino tossed her hair back in a practised gesture.

“So sad, you’re jealous that I’m spending five days alone with Sasuke and it’s clearly turning you into someone very petty and ugly. And you were already ugly.” Sakura's mocking tone had improved since the last time she butted heads with Ino.

This of course degenerated into a round of yelling “Billboard Brow” and “Ugly” at each other, while Chouji hid behind Shikako.

“I’m glad they didn’t turn on us. Why are they like that to each other?”

“Shuh,” Shikako huffed. “That’s their twisted way of telling each other to be careful.” At Chouji’s stare she shrugged, “Girls: we’re complicated.”

 

4.) By day two of their test everyone in team 10 had learnt a lot. Ino learnt food pills gave her gas. Chouji learnt Ino had a kick like a mule when he tried to keep real food away from her and Shikako learnt her stomach could stay in a constant knot of tension for two days. They did not make camp for the night but took catnaps on the move, in hollowed out logs and thick leafy branches.

When hide and hang out did not work, and a fellow Leaf-nin caught them by surprise, they were forced to use Plan Two.

Plan Two had Ino and Shikako act like fools and flirt, while Chouji winced from the sidelines. The Hyuuga was unaffected by their dirt covered hair and generic pick up lines.

“Shocker, he’s not attracted to twelve-year old girls smelling of mud and sweat,” muttered Shikako, falling behind Ino to tie her hair back up. Briefly she wondered how the Hyuuga (Neji, Ino called him) managed to keep mud and leaves out of his hair.

It looked like acting nice was not going to help them keep their scroll. Time for Plan Three: bluffing.

Shikako remembered where she and Ino had met this boy, one early morning when they had walked past his team training ferociously against defenseless logs. The team leader had been hard to forget. “If you fight us and take our scroll… I’ll tell your sensei,” she threatened. Ino and Chouji looked at her in surprise. The Hyuuga just continued to look at them blankly.

She persisted, “You’re on Gai Maito’s team, aren’t you? I bet he’ll be real upset that you beat up two younger girls,” Chouji cleared his throat, “..and their teammate. Why I bet he’ll just talk and talk about how unyouthful it was. At the top of his lungs. In a very crowded and public place.”

While Shikako had been frantically making up threats the Hyuuga had activated his Byakugan and scanned them. Once she had finished her rambling he sighed. “You do not have the scroll I need. Please go away.”

“Sounds good to me.” They scurried off, vowing to never speak of the encounter again.

 

5.) An endless stream of curses frittered through Shikako’s head as they watched Lee fall to the ground, leaving Sakura alone against three Sound-nin. Sasuke and Naruto had not stirred at all during the fight, still unconscious and defenseless. Besides her, also hidden in the bushes, Ino watched without blinking. Five minutes ago Ino had been arguing that Team Seven was the perfect target to steal a scroll from and Sakura and Naruto would be easy to deal with.

Trying to reason with Ino did nothing. She refused to help, knowing how futile their presence would be but wouldn’t move away either, even when Shikako tried to convince her into going to find someone else for help.

Then Sakura started fighting back, in a move as impressive as it was suicidal. She lasted five minutes.

Shikako watched Ino watch Sakura who was still holding down her target in spite of the blows to her head, not releasing her grip on the Sound-nin. She knew the look on Ino’s face, knew what was going to happen next.

“It’s not worth the risk Ino,” Shikako hissed, grabbing onto her sleeve, “I know she’s you friend but we stand no chance against those Sound-nin.” The sound of Sakura being hit again and again echoed across the clearing. “We’ll just end up in the same position her. Leave her!”

Ino shrugged off her hand, gave her a look of fiery disapproval then turned to look at Chouji who, to Shikako’s surprise, had put away his chips and had a kuni at the ready, his face as set as Ino’s. “Are you with us Shikako?” he said, his voice soft but steady.

“Yeah,” she swallowed. “You two go on, I’ll be right behind you.” Then her team was gone, and Shikako was alone in the bushes.

 

6.) At first it went well. The Ino-Shika-Cho formation worked as well as ever, even if the Shika part of the equation was Shikako jumping the bandaged nin from behind and holding him still long enough for Ino to possess his mind. With their leader holding a kuni to his own throat, everything should have ended.

But the Sound-nin had other ideas. With no hesitance the boy with the air pressure attacks sent Chouji careening into his possessed teammate, causing Ino’s body to cough up blood in sympathy.

“This is bad!” Shikako muttered, struggling under the weight of Ino’s body. Chouji hauled himself to his feet and placed himself between the girls and the threat, loyal to the end. Shikako wondered what she had done to deserve such stupidly noble teammates.

Then Lee’s team finally showed up and saved the day. Or tried to, when Sasuke woke up from his coma angry and looking for someone to take it out on.

 

7.) Shikako dealt with the past hour of traumatic events the way she dealt with most irritating things. She ignored it and focused on something else. “Well that was fun, but we still need to find a scroll before we run out of time.” She grumbled as Team Ten did what it did best, crawl through foliage and hope not to get caught.

“If you have any bright ideas now would be a great time to tell us, Shika-chan.” Ino shot back, still moody from conversation with Sakura.

“Why do I always have to fix your mistakes?”

“I’m so sorry that I couldn’t stand by and watch our friends die, next time I’ll do what you told me to do and walk away.”

“Guys…”

“It was a logical action to take and if Lee’s team hadn’t shown up we’d all be lying face down on the ground by now.”

“We’re lying face down in the ground now, at least we earned a bit of respect by helping our fellow Leaf-nins.”

“Uh, Guys…”

“And that respect came at the cost of revealing your attacks to shinobi we may have to fight later. We’ve completely lost the element of surprise, haven’t a hope of winning a scroll and-”

“Girls!” Chouji grabbed Shikako’s ankle, before she could continue.

“What?” they snapped, looking back at him.

Chouji pointed up to where a thin trail of smoke drifted over them, a soft smell of beef registering to Shikako’s nose, now that she was paying attention. Somewhere, nearby, there was a team at ease enough to start a campfire. Either they were very strong or, hopefully, very stupid.

Ino and Shikako shared a smirk, argument forgotten in the face of a chance to win a scroll.

 

8.) A few hours before the time limit for the second exam ended, Team Ten reluctantly opened their two scrolls, hoping for a clue as to what to do next. They had made it to the tower, but found nothing that told them what to do next.

When the scrolls started smoking, Team Ten fell back onto their now instinctive reaction and dropped them to dive behind the nearest object. And felt incredibly silly when Chouji’s chunin aunt emerged from the smoke, looking at them in amusement.

“We were wondering what had happened to you three.” She smiled brightly as they slunk out from their hiding places. “The betting pool was getting out of hand, especially when no one heard anything about you since the second day.”

“Aunt Kazuno, do you have any food on you?” asked Chouji eagerly.

“Or some water that doesn’t taste like mud?” Ino pulled a face at the memory of the stream water they had been forced to drink.

“Or a teleportation jutsu to my bed,” whined Shikako from the floor.

Kazuno reached out a sympathetic hand and straightened Chouji’s headband. “Cheer up my brave shinobi,” she said, “There is just enough time to have a nice meal and recharge for a while. Be in the great hall in three hours.”

“And then what?” The past five days had made even Chouji hesitant to believe the worst was over.

“Hopefully all that will happen is a big speech and time off to get ready for the last part of the exam,” Kazuno put out a cautionary finger. “But be ready to fight, just in case.”

Shikako whined, still on the floor. Ino and Chouji grabbed her by the arms and dragged her across the room towards the next door.

Kazuno watched them go with a worried look. The rumours circulating about the last few days had put her clan and their allies on edge. She was very tempted to pull her nephew and his team from the exam, claim it was fate that their scrolls summoned her and not another chunin. Their parents would understand, might even thank her for the caution.

But the exam was almost over for now, just a quick sorting of who would fight who then a month of training. They would then know more about what was going on, would know if it was safe to let their children compete.

Kazuno bit her lip and made a good luck sign, just in case.

 

9.) Shikako walked out of the arena calmly, trying not to show how hard she was shaking. Medic-nins immediately descended on her, intent on pulling out the senbon covering her arm and shoulder. She did not resist the attention, happy to collapse on a stool and let them fuss while her mind replayed the last five minutes of her match against Kin Tsuchi. She still did not think there was any other way she could have won the match, although new ways she could have lost and gotten horribly injured kept occurring to her.

The medics were quick in their work and soon she was walking back up to her team.

“You won, you won!” Ino cheered loudly, unburdened by jealously or by the sting of her own defeat. “I knew you could do it!”

Chouji squeezed her uninjured arm affectionately and Asuma smiled with approval. Shikako allowed herself to smirk in satisfaction as she brushed hair out of her face. It had been a gamble, but her strategy had worked. Bluffing the Shadow Bind had put the sound-nin on edge and made her go on the attack, allowing Shikako to watch and plan.

She had managed to avoid most of the senbon thrown at her, until Shikako made the mistake of taking her eyes off her opponent. Those three little senbon had hurt so much she almost convinced herself they were poisoned. She had always been a wimp when it came to pain and it almost led to her surrendering. But then she had spotted the chakra strings Kins had been using and knew how she could win.

The sound-nin’s eyes had widened comically, as her own string acted as a bomb fuse, coming towards her and setting off the ‘defective’ bomb tag Shikako had let her catch. The blast was a bit stronger than it needed to be, but the Sound-nin was only knocked out, not dead, so Shikako resolved not to lose sleep over her opponent’s fate.

Ino nudged her in the side and Shikako looked up, seeing her teammate’s lips move without sound. She realized, in all the excitement she had forgotten something.

Carefully, Shikako reached into her ears and pulled out the makeshift earplugs she had hidden behind pigtails. “What?” she asked as her team stared at her. “Did you think I changed my hair, just before my match, to look nice?”

“But how did you know she’d try a sound genjutsu on you?” Chouji asked.

Sound genjutsu? That explained why the sound-nin was so shocked when Shikako fought back. “Well, her teammates were using air waves and sonic attacks, I figured there was a chance she’d use some thing similar. I didn’t want my ear drums broken like that other guy.”

“But where did you get the ear plugs from?” pushed Chouji.

“I made them with some wax and cotton,” Shikako shrugged, tired of the questions. It was beginning to sink in that she wasn’t finished with this stupid exam and would probably have to fight again.

 

10.) There was utter quiet as the two Hyuuga climbed separate staircases, back to their respective teams. Nobody wanted to be the first to say something, after the result of their match.

“Why’s everyone so quiet? Hinata did great!”

Nobody but Naruto, of course. Stuck sitting on the floor while Ino put her hair back in its customary ponytail, Shikako turned her head slightly to look at the loudmouth, hoping his team would shut him up.

“I mean the way he came back after Neji knocked him down, that was amazing!”

No such luck. Sakura appeared to be confused as well, judging by the way her forehead was wrinkled. And their sensei was deeply engrossed in a not-staring competition with the Sand-nins’ teacher.

Across from him on the opposite balcony, Tenten glared daggers at Naruto, while Gai-sensei continued talking to Neji, a comforting arm on his shoulder. Lee had looked sympathetic, before he was called down for his own match.

As Naruto inhaled to make another loud comment, Shikako took her spare hairtie and flicked it at him, just missing his eye. “Naruto,” she hissed as he turned to look at her. “Drop the subject already. No one wants to talk about it.”

“But-,“ he huffed, pointing at Hinata, who stood with his team. He was rigid in his stance, blank eyes looking straight ahead, not acknowledging anything. 

“No!’ hissed Shikako, cutting him off. “Drop it.” Konoha looked bad enough in front of the other shinobi without Naruto emphasizing their faults.

Instead of dropping it, Naruto walked over to Team Ten and sat down next to Shikako, causing Ino to pull at her hair in annoyance. “I just don’t understand why no one cheered when Hinata won. Neji knocked him down but he got up and started doing so well, he forced Neji forfeit the match.”

“Yeah, he sure did,” muttered Ino, with a final tug on Shikako’s hair. Free to move, Shikako turned to face Naruto.

“Neji should have won that match.” She hissed quietly. “He’s older, has a better form and a longer reach that Hinata. He was winning until Hinata said something to him, then he stopped landing hits.” She narrowed her eyes at the memory. She was not familiar with the Gentle Fist style the Hyuuga clan used, but watching the two cousins fight, it was clear Neji was the better fighter. His form was clear and fluid, his focus unbroken. Hinata was far sloppier in his movements and his chakra leaked out at odd moments as he misjudged himself. Even after Neji stopped attacking and just defended himself, Hinata could not land a successful hit. Neji had surrendered simply to end the stagnent match.

“But why would he do that?” asked Naruto in confusion, and Shikako braced herself to try and explain clan politics to the dead-last of her class. “Why would Hinata do something so mean?”

She blinked at that. She would have thought he would focus on Neji, not Hinata.  
“Sometimes…” she hesitated, unsure of how to make him understand.

“Being in a clan is really tricky sometimes Naruto.” Chouji spoke up from next to them. “There’s so much stuff you have to do, so many things you just have to be good at. Hinata’s the heir to the most important clan in Konoha, he must have thought he had to win this match, no matter what.”

“Maybe Neji thought so too,” said Shikako. “We don’t know what Hinata said to him, to make him throw the match.” She grabbed a fistful of blond hair before Naruto could open his mouth. “And don’t you dare yell across this room and ask him. What’s done is done. Focus on the present.” As she spoke, Lee dropped his weights with an almighty crash and the match against the gourd carrying sand-nin took an interesting turn.

 

And the one thing that didn’t change at all

1.) Quietly Shikako slunk into her home. There was a party going on at the main Akimichi restaurant but she didn’t feel up to dealing with a huge crowd of happy people. She just wanted to lie down and wait for her mind to slow down, stop throwing up new details to think about and construct theories around. It had been a really long day.

First the whole Sakura/Ino fight: how did Sakura throw Ino out of her mind, when was Ino going to meantion she had a new technique. And most importantly: was Ino going to be friends with Sakura and leave Shikako behind? There was also the fact that something was going on among the Hyuugas, Sasuke was more unstable than usual and Naruto was not quite the loser she’d always assumed him to be.

Then, as if her personal angst was not enough, somehow she had managed to win a place in the final round of the Chunin exam, meaning she’d have to fight against shinobi she really didn’t think she could beat. From the psychotic Sand-nin to the quiet Shino, she did not have a hope of wining a match. Her first opponent was going to eat her alive, if her fan didn’t sent her flying out of the arena first.

“Is that you Shikako?” her mother’s voice called from the kitchen. “Come here.”

Unwillingly Shikako stopped climbing the stairs and went to the kitchen. Her mother stood by the sink, washing something with her back towards her daughter. Sitting on an otherwise bare table, was a steaming bowl of what smelled like her favourite soup.

“Eat up before it gets cold.” Her mother said briskly, before Shikako could say anything. Obediently Shikako sat and picked up a spoon, not even caring that her hands were still filthy. The first taste of butternut on her tongue made the knots in her stomach vanish.

Yoshino turned around and watched her daughter eat, with much more enthusiasm than she usually showed to her food. She said nothing about her daughter’s bad poster or dirty face or even the still bloody holes in her jacket. Instead she nodded to herself, as of she was please with what she saw.

“I’m going to run you a nice hot bath.” She announced, putting down the dishcloth.

Shikako grunted in agreement, mouth fill of soup.

“And then I’m going to scrub these floors because you are incapable of putting on clean shoes and sparing my wood your filthy socks! Did you walk through a river in them? Do the Academy not teach you how to respect your mother’s hard work while they were showing you fancy ways to get yourself dirty-”

Shikako blissfully licked her spoon, letting her mother’s familiar voice wash over her. Tomorrow she would worry, tomorrow she would plan. Tonight she would sleep deeply, safe and comfortable in her mother’s domain.


	4. During the Finals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And three years later here's chapter four. The Naras would be proud.
> 
> Unbeted, any editing, nitpicking, constructed criticism is welcomed.

1.) Shikako had planned to give herself a week off to recover from the exams before starting to train in earnest for her match against the bandaged Sound-nin. And by train in earnest she meant think of a way to forfeit without making Konoha look bad.

But three lazy days into her recovery her mother shoved her out of the door with a packed lunch and directions to one of the more secluded fields of the Nara property. She had been met by her jounin aunt-by-marriage Masuyo, who put her through a series of exercises at a punishingly fast pace. When Shikako collapsed onto the ground, Masuyo deemed her warmed up.

“Well,” said Masuyo thoughtfully, while Shikako lay on the grass and whimpered, “Your technique is surprisingly good, if lacking in force. Your reaction time is slow and you have very little in the way of stamina or killing instinct. But,” she grabbed Shikako’s hand and hauled her to her feet, “I'm hoping that won’t matter too much.” She put her hands on Shikako’s shoulders and turned her around.

Shikako looked up to see Masuyo’s husband Kada standing before them, hands shaped in a familiar set of seals. Nervously she watched the shadowy hands reach her ankles then climb her leg, going for her neck. Just as the shadows got to her stomach she managed to relax her control on her chakra, as she had the last time he had tried to use the shadow strange justu on her. She felt a bit of an itch as the shadow hands fell harmlessly through her.

All three of them stood in silence as Kada’s shadow slowly returned to it’s normal shape. Masuyo and Kada shared a look. “Now this we can work with.” Masuyo came to stand right in front of Shikako holding a simple branch. “Now do that... that thing again.”

Shikako sighed and after a few false starts repeated the experience. Masuyo’s branch went right through her arm as if she were a shadow herself. Again she felt an itch where the branch went through her. The branch was then poked through her leg with the same result and finally got caught on her sandal.

She took a deep breath as she took a hold of her chakra once more. She hadn't been able to breath while she – transformed, became intangable?- She had no idea how to classify it.

“Ha,” Kada smiled faintly, “You slouch when you activate it, and straighten up when you release it. That’s the only way to notice any difference, so be careful not to have tells like that on the battlefield.”

“It’s not so much activating as relaxing,” Shikako tried to explain. “I slouch because it’s like relaxing after standing at attention, except with chakra.”

“So do you use chakra or not?” Asked Masuyo, “Because I think we might be looking at a Bloodline Limit in the making.”

“The Nara clan doesn’t have a Bloodline Limit.” Shikako and Kada said automatically.

“I was also told the Nara clan doesn't have daughters,” Masuyo pointed her branch at Shikako.

Who sighed and slouched even more, “Troublesome.” she pouted.

 

2.) “When I said I wanted a break from training, this was not what I had in mind,” Shikako muttered as she poured a bucket of dirty water down the sink drain.

“Your uncle did offer to let you work the front desk.” Kabuto Yakushi pointed out, wringing dirty rags next to her.

“That was part of his plot to introduce me to all his doctor friends visiting for the Tournament.” Shikako got to her feet shakily. “Before I get disfigured in my match.”

“I’m sure your family can fix whatever injuries you get,” Kabuto held out a gloved hand.

“Still means a lot of pain and trouble.” She took his support gratefully as they turned back to the laboratory they were cleaning. “Why didn’t I quit when I had the chance? I won't be getting advice from everyone in all three clans!”

“I’m sure they're not that bad.” there was a teasing note in his voice that encouraged her to go on.

“You have no idea. Yesterday Auntie Yuzu made me do pushups till I threw up, then I go a crash course in how to suppress my gag reflex and what you can learn from someone's vomit.” She shuddered, which set off aches in her shoulder muscles. “I’ve done more exercise this month than I have in the past year. Even when I’m resting I have to meditate and study scrolls and stuff.”

“Anything interesting?”

“No, just the stuff everyone else already knows.” She started wiping a counter top, not making much difference to the dirt marks. 

When she had failed to learn the kagemane no one had bothered to tell her about all the family scrolls relating to it and the Nara’s history of developing it. Normally she would enjoy learning about her family's past, but the fact that no one had told her about them before, marred the experience.

“Do...do you ever get tired of being ignored,” She asked quietly.

Kabuto stopped mopping the floor. “What did you say?”

“Do you ever get tired of being ignored.” She sprayed some cleaner on the counter then turned to face Kabuto, “Like no one expects you to make it.” she chose her next words carefully, “Why don’t you become a civilian doctor? You’re sure to get your medical license and your dad could get you a job easily.” She boosted herself up to sit on the edge of the counter, muscles protesting again.

Kabuto went back to mopping. “I’m not ready to quit. Not yet. I almost made it this time, with Naruto’s team. Next time will be it I’m sure.”

“Naruto. Did you notice anything… weird about him.”

Kabuto laughed, “He is a weird guy I grant you, not what you’d expect from a shinobi at all.” he nudged the bucket a few tiles over with his foot and moved to dip the mop again. “But then again, he is a Konoha shinobi.”

“And you’ve met so many other village shinobi that you can make such a judgement,” said Shikako more sharply than she meant. The riddle of Naruto had been lurking in the back of her mind for a while now. She didn’t have the energy to work out why his success in the exams bothered her so much.

Kabuto stilled, his back towards her. Slowly he let the mop drop back in the bucket.

“Sorry,” she said realising what had upset him, “I didn’t mean to bring up how many times you failed. You'll pass next time I’m sure.” Kabuto must have met so many genin over the years, maybe Naruto’s sudden improvement in fighting was normal. She didn’t really pay attention when Kabuto walked towards her, only focusing on him when he stood right in front of her, his hand coming towards her cheek. She fought the urge to flinch.

But Kabuto just twisted his index fingers and a card appeared between them. “I almost forgot to give you this, Shikako-chan.”

She took the card, her eyes widening at the sight of Temari Sabuki. “What? My opponent is Dosu Kinta, not this sand-nin. What happened? And how did you get this?”

“You hear all sorts of things when you have regular hours in the hospital.” Kabuto scratched his head awkwardly, “And I had a chunin exam in Suna a year ago. One of my teammates then was a Inuzuka whose dog spent the entire time between tests looking for a tree. We had a few close encounters with the Kazakage’s children.”

Shikako traced the number of missions Temari had completed. “Looks like she could've qualified then, what held them back?”

“I really couldn’t say, but if I had to guess-”

“Politics,” Shikako nodded and memorised the card, handing it back as it started to go blank again. “I’ll put this information to good use. Thank-you.”

“I know you will.” Kabuto turned back to his mopping. “And don’t mention it.”

 

3.) Before she really thought about what she was doing, Shikako walked through the hospital room’s doors and sat in the chair next to Naruto’s bed. “Here.” She pushed her box into Naruto’s hands. “My mom told me to make oden, then decided it wasn’t good enough for anyone in the family to eat. I think it’s okay, if you want to try it.”

Naruto already had the box open and the chopsticks and spoon out. He took a huge mouthful, slurping up some of the broth as well. “This is great, what was your mom complaining about?”

“She said it’s too soft and I overcooked the meat and then under spiced it.” Shikako leaned back. “But I think it was just her subtle way of reminding me that there’s more to life than shinobi.”

“That’s crazy!” said Naruto through a mouthful of food. “Being a ninja is the best thing ever! Although,” he slurped up some noodles, “This is almost as good as raman.”

“I’m going to pretend that’s a compliment,” Muttered Shikako, passing him a cloth before he got his pyjama sleeves dirty.

There was an awkward pause as Shikako watched Naruto work his way through a family sized portion of oden. She had been in the hospital to give the meal and some letters to one of her younger unmarried uncles. But she had seen Naruto in a deserted dormitory, uncharacteristically quiet and solemn. The empty bedside table, with no flowers or cards made her feel guilty.

“So what brought you to the hospital?” she asked.

“A frog.” Naruto stopped to sniff a carrot Shikako hadn’t bothered to peel or chop very finely.

“In your throat?”

“No, in his tongue.”

They stared at each other for a while.

“What?”

Eventually Shikako got the whole story out of him, although she wasn’t sure how much of it she believed. A Toad Hermit taking time out of his busy perverted schedule (and she was never bathing outside of the clans’ properties ever again) to teach Naruto how to summon frogs seemed very unlikely. And getting flung off a cliff in a last ditch effort to learn and summoning a Toad Boss? 

“If it was any other person telling me this, I wouldn’t believe them.” she sighed, leaning back in her chair and kicking her feet up onto the bed. Only Naruto would go to such lengths to learn a new jutsu. Of course Naruto was probably the only one in the exam who had to go to such lengths in order to get such training. An unpleasant thought occurred to her.

“This pervert sensei…” she began awkwardly. “He didn’t actually, touch you while you were in your girl jutsu...did he?”

Naruto, about to pour the last of the broth into his mouth looked at her blankly, then his eyes bulged and he choked on his mouthful. “What? No! Nothing like that. He’s a pervert but he’s not a- a pervert!”

“There’s very little difference in spying on naked girls and molesting them.” Shikako said, horribly aware of how much like her mother she sounded. “If he does try anything you come and tell me.” She brought her hands together thoughtfully. “I’ll sort him out.”

Naruto looked at her and it seemed like he was touched at her words. But then he started laughing, “You’re the smallest genin in the exam. What are you gonna do, kick his ankles?”

“Fine.” Shikako bought her feet down and stood up, “See if I ever show an interest in your welfare again.”

“Ah, don’t be like that-”

He was interrupted by a shout and someone running past the door.

 

4.) As members of Kohana’s most prestigious clans, it was Shikaku, Choza and Inoichi’s duty to be seen at the festival, drinking heavily at one of the more prominent bars. Or so they liked to tell their wives and children, who featured prominently in their friendly argument over who had it worse. Currently Inoichi and his complaints over his daughter’s ongoing obsession on the Uchiha boy were winning.

“Look I understand. Daughters are a real drag,” agreed Shikako pouring his friends more sake.

“I’m standing -right- here Dad.” The three turned their head to see Shikako standing by the door, arms on hips. “I’m about to face certain death tomorrow and you’re sitting here complaining about me?”

“Don’t exaggerate,” Shikako turned back to his drink. “It’s not certain death. It’s possible death.”

“Certain death.” Shikako huffed over to her father and leaned with both arms onto the bar. “Have you seen what I’m up against.” She dropped her head into her arms. Choza reached over to pull her ponytail affectionately. “The heirs of the Aburame, Uchiha and Hyuuga clan and the children of the Kazekage”

“Ah? But I thought you were just going to give up tomorrow,” said Shikaku looking up from his cup.

Shikako turned her head so she could glare up at her father. He had been busy with village security these last few months but how had he missed all the training she’d been forced to do?

“What, seriously?” Shikaku looked at his friends in confusion. 

“I thought I was at least on Naruto’s level.” Shikako went back to mumbling into her arms. “But now he’s going on about summoning toads and using kage bushin. I mean” She straightened up and looked at Shikaku, “He said he had a demon in him. Naruto.” she laughed and picked up her dad’s cup, taking her usual small sip of whatever he was drinking. “The Sand-nin, I could believe him when he said he had a demon in him, he was crazy. But Naruto? I used to spar against him in the academy. He always fell for my tears and sneak attack routine.”

“Most of me is proud you exploit others' weaknesses,” said Shikaku taking back his cup and draining it, “Part of me wishes you’d stop using tears when you train against your cousins, but most of me is proud.” he put down his empty cup. “Looks like that’s it for me boys, gotta walk my daughter home.”

“Bye Shikaku, Shika-chan.” waved Inochi as Shikaku put an arm around the protesting Shikako. “We’ll be cheering for you tomorrow.”

“Good luck!” Choza added. Shikako pouted at them as they went out the door. 

“We’re gonna have to report to the Hokage, about the sand-nin and Naruto.” muttered Inochi as they turned back to their meal.

“Let’s wait and see what else Shikaku learns from Shika-chan.” said Choza just as softly. “Then we’ll go.”

 

5.) “Kunochi fight!” cheered someone from the very back of the stadium. Catcalls joined in the lecherous volley as Temeri and Shikako faced off in the arena.

“Eewwee.” Shikako cringed as someone wolf whistled, “I’m pretty sure that’s for you.”

Temeri swung her battle fan threateningly, “What makes you say that?”

“The fact that you're blond and curvy and I’m built like a ten year old boy.” Pouted Shikako with a forlorn look down to her non-existent chest. Puberty had yet to take any notice of her.

A yell of “She’s twelve years old, you fucker!” rang out from the Nara part of the stadium, followed by a round of people yelling at the ones who had been catcalling, explaining that the one girl down there really was from the Nara clan and yes, her grandfather was the one waving around the castration forceps.

Shikako rolled her eyes and sighed deeply. If she quit now, she’d never hear the end of it. 

“Let’s just get this over with.” she muttered.

 

6.) “Running away won’t help you, Leaf,” Temari moved into her own ready position as Shikako sank into crouch better suited to start a race than a fighting match.

“You underestimate my desire to avoid doing all this again,” she narrowed her eyes waiting for the proctor's hands to come down.

“Start!”

Shikako took off at a sprint towards her opponent. Temari reacted by jumping back a few steps then letting loose a powerful wave of air with her fan. Which did nothing to stop Shikako as she went intangable and let the dust and wind pass harmlessly through her. Temari had just enough time to realise something had gone wrong, before Shikako got close enough to grab the top of the battle fan, grip it in her gloved hands and throw it as hard as she could towards the clump of trees within the arena.

Temari shrieked, and gave a punch and kick combo which Shikako managed to mostly dodge, before running after her fallen weapon. Temeri reached her fan, caught up in the branches of a tree, just as the blast note Shikako had slapped onto it activated. The resulting explosion filled the arena with smoke and dust.

It took a few minutes before the debris was blown away by a scuffed and angry Temari, welding a slightly bent and very dirty battle fan. “Where is she!” she yelled at the proctor, who had jumped into the arena to see clearer. “Where are you Little Leaf?”

But Shikako was nowhere to be see. What could seen however, were more blast notes stuck in a neat line going almost a quarter of a way around the arena wall. 

Green eyes narrowed as Temari marched towards the side where they stopped, fan held ready to attack. She stopped a safe way from the blast notes, examined the ground and area around her before going closer to the notes. “They’re fake!” she hissed coming right up against the wall and turning, looking frantically for her opponent's next move.

For a good few minutes nothing happened except Temari scanning everywhere for Shikako, her fan in position to attack or defend. She didn’t move from her place against the wall, sure there was a trap in place somewhere. “You can’t hide forever! Come out coward!”

That’s when the blast notes hidden under the fake blast notes went off, one after the other. Swearing, Temari dived away from the small but bright explosions. She used her fan to cover her head and shoulders and she hit the ground hard. Which meant when Shikako emerged from the tunnels left from Naruto and Hinata's match, she could easily pull the fan away from Temari again.

This time Shikako kept a hold of the fan, covering it in all the blast notes she had left. “Surrender or the fan gets it.”

Temari got to her feet, more scuffed up than ever, bleeding slightly from one knee and arm. “What makes you think I don’t have a hundred like it at home?”

“Your little brother is surprisingly talkative for a psychopathic. He mentioned your mother’s death. This is a Dreg battle-fan, only given to the children of their tribe. No way you can get one by any way other than inheritance or birth. Public records show your father is shinobi born and bred, which means this belonged to your mother. So which is more important to you: Promotion or your dead mother’s battle-fan?”

There was a moment of silence. The blast notes on the fan started to go brown on the edges.

“I surrender.” 

As the proctor announced Shikako's win, she stripped off the blast notes, which sizzled and flared harmlessly as they fell to the ground. Temari watched her closely “Take off every single note or I swear I will-”

“Yeah yeah, I’ve had enough death threats from your family thanks.” Shikako muttered as the applause from the stands started to grow. It was nothing like the noise the crowd had made when Naruto defeated Hinata, but it was decent, her clan and allies making up for the disappointed civilians that wanted a catfight.

Temari snatched her fan back. “You have no idea what you’re up against, Little Leaf.”

 

7.) It was one of the most painful things she had ever done, forcing her body to lie still while enemy nin invaded her village. Even when Sakura knelt next to her to wake up Naruto, she remained still, pretending to be under the sleeping jutsu. She just couldn’t bring herself to care about Sasuke, not with her team lying unconscious in the front row, right in the line of fire.

After Sakura, Naruto and Neji had gone and the fighting had moved away from her, she rolled quickly under a row of stadium seats, pulled out several kuni and slowly crawled over bodies and under benches towards Ino and Chouji.

One Sound-nin did notice her, but he was quickly taken out by a shuriken to the temple from Naruto’s sensei. _When this is over,_ she promised herself, as blood from the dead sound-nin soaked into her shirt. _I’ll freak when this is all over, have a complete and utter breakdown. Later,_ A decade worth of training and mental conditioning helped her push the trauma away and focus on the present. 

She was two rows away from her team when her leg was grabbed and she was almost yanked clear of the chairs before she managed to kick her assailant and squirm free. Back under the safety of the bench seat, she abandoned caution and simply went intangible and crawled through bodies and chair legs to get to her unconscious teammates. She shook, then slapped Ino to get her awake.

Ino woke with a shout, that Shikako quickly muffled with her hand. 

“Konoha is under attack, we have to wake Chouji and get out of here!” she whispered fanatically. They were partly hidden, but only by the unconscious Chouji's bulk.

“Okay.” Ino woke him while Shikako watched her back. Chouji took longer to orientate himself but then pushed himself up and into a defensive stance as Shikako passed out what little weapons she had left after her match.

“That's not enough to get us to safety!” whispered Ino, while Shikako readied a smoke bomb to hide their escape.

“Guys,” Chouji pointed up across the rows of slumbering ninja. “I have an idea.”

The girls looked over to see an unconscious but clearly armed, Tenten.

“Perfect.”

 

8.) It turned out Tenten had enough weapons to arm them all, herself, the three shinobi they woke on the way to her side and rearm her sensei and Hakate. Then she stood over the still unconscious Lee and announced she was going to take him to safety.

“I want to be like you when I grow up,” Ino told her in awe as Tenten sank a spear head into a Sound-nin's shoulder.

“He'd do the same for me,” Tenten said briskly as Maito kicked the body off her weapon. “And then I have to go find Neji before he does something rash.” 

“Even in battle, my team's youth shines through the darkness of treachery.” Maito gave a blinding white smile as he took out another two nin.

“It would be better if you all get to a defensible site and wait for orders.” Hakate said shortly as he blocked several kuni. Their group was attracting attention.

“My family owns a store house near here.” Chouji offered, clumsily making the Konoha hand sign for a safe-house.

“If you use your Human Boulder technique to make a hole and clear the way for us outside, Ino and I can cover Tenten as she carries Lee.” Shikako decided swiftly, back to back with Ino. “Ino you take control of the first shinobi that gets too close, I'll keep your body safe.”

“Right” Tenten threw her spear to Maito and lifted Lee over her shoulders. “Let's go before they work out what's happing.”

 

9.) The Akimichi store house, which also doubled as a secret safe-house for the civilians and non-active shinobi of the family, was just in sight. Two ANBU landed on either side of their group, and made quick work of the three sand-nin that had been following them at a distance. The few civilians that had joined their group cheered, but were quickly silenced with a harsh order from Tenten.

One ANBU commandeered Ino and Tenten, taking Lee from her shoulders and giving him to two of the civilians. “Akamichi, get the civilians into the building then activate the security seals. Do not allow them out until the invasion is officially declared over.” He turned to the two girls. “You two with me, there are civilians trapped two streets over, they need to be calmed and defended until more help arrives.”

“Genin Nara Shikako, your services are required elsewhere.” The other ANBU, a hare mask, snapped. The teammates just had time to squeeze each other’s arms, silently wishing each other good-luck. Behind them Tenten threatened the civilians holding Lee in her native tongue. They appeared to promise to defend him with their lives.

The hare ANBU had Shikako scooped up and back at the stadium in no time at all. They landed on the roof of the main building, a purple rectangular barrier covering most of the space. On each corner of the barrier was a sound-nin with an extra wall protecting them from attacks from within. It was hard to see through the structure but there appeared to be some kind of serious fight happening within it.

“What's going on?” she asked as she was put down in front of three waiting ANBU.

“The Hokage is fighting for his life.” Said the ANBU in a white cloak. “We need the barrier destroyed.”

“I think you've got the wrong genin...” Shikako started to argue, but the ANBU that had brought her was already leading her closer to the barrier.

“Just feel the barrier, see if you can shift through.” The hare mask said softly, “Just like we practised,” Shikako took a shuddering breath and obeyed her aunt's instructions. She pushed the revelation of Masuyo being ANBU from her mind. There was a bit of resistance as her hand sunk through the barrier, but withdrew her hand easily. She was then handed a handful of pellets and told the plan.

The first corner of the barrier was held up by a man with six arms. Shikako nonchalantly pressed a pellet into his corner while walking past quickly. Even as the poison smoke of the pellet enveloped him, she was running for the second corner.

This time she telegraphed her movements openly as she raised her right hand to press a pellet through the barrier into the corner of the large orange haired shinobi. He watched her suspiciously, but missed her left hand pressing the other pellet in at hip height.

“The Barrier is weakening. Again!” called the lead ANBU from his waiting point.

Masuyo picked her up and threw her to another ANBU waiting at the next corner, who caught her and put her hand up against the barrier before she had time to orientate herself. She automatically went intangable, as she had before. But this time it meant she slid out of the grip ANBU holding her and right into the barrier corner.

“Fucking he-” his voice muted out as she landed on the other side.

 

10) Shikako was on her knees when the Sound-nin grabbed her fist. The pellet crumbled in her palm as he squeezed. The fear of what the poison could do to her bare skin made her panic, scream and bit at his arm. He grabbed her ponytail and tried to get her to loosen her jaw. With her free hand she dropped her last paper bomb.

The bomb went off between them which really hurt but made the Sound-nin (with another head on his shoulder!) let go of her. Shikako went intangible and flung herself out of the barrier. She knew it was the wrong way, that she was going into the main big barrier but it was closer than the outer wall.

She could see Masuyo on the other side of the barrier, banging on the wall, gesturing her to retreat. In the mist behind her she could hear the footsteps.

She just had time to spin around and fad through the barrier back first, out into the open and her aunt's embrace. Masuyo had her sword out and positioned to attack whatever was approaching them.

On the other side of the barrier a thin blond man in a long white coat peered out at them with dead eyes. He raised a three pronged kuni slowly.

“Fourth Hokage?” Masuyo whispered, tightening her grip on her sword.

“Naruto,” Shikako's mind screamed.

The blond turned and walked away from them and the barrier wall, unconcerned.

“Hare!” bellowed another ANBU, “The barrier is coming down, get her out of there!”

Shikako was scooped up and carried away. Over Masuyo's shoulder she saw the barrier fall. She felt her legs start to shake as adrenalin left her body. She pressed her face into Masuyo's neck. Time for that mental breakdown she had promised herself.

 

And the one thing that did not change.

Shikako walked to the mass funeral between her parents. It was the first time she had seen both of them together since the invasion. Her father returned home only to bath and change. What time her mother did not spend in the homeless camp working and organising, she spent in the Nara store rooms and larders, looking for more she could donate or lend out. Shikako had spent the last few days mindlessly working and staring into space until she was told to do something else. After her huge messy crying spell right after the invasion has been officially declared over, she had pushed all emotion aside and focused on trying to analyse how it all went so terribly wrong.

As they walked in silence down the quiet road, Shikaku slung an arm around his child's shoulders. “I read the report on what you did. I'm very proud.”

“I should have done more, been better.” she muttered.

Her mother squeezed her hand.

“Don't waste your time dwelling on the past. Focus your energy on the future.” He kissed her cheek, beard scratching her face as it always did.

As they came into the more urban part of the village, other Nara families and Yamanaka's joined them. Soon they were a large crowd, Nara men with their wives and mothers, and the pupil-less Yamanaka with their families.

When the Akimichi clan joined them all at once, coming from their clan compound in the original centre of the village, it was a truly impressive crowd. The three clans together had over half a thousand members. Shikako walking in the centre of it all, her father's arm still around her, feeling very small but very safe.

When they reached the Hokage's Tower the clans divided themselves, team-mates coming together as they climbed the stairs to the rooftop. The civilian members remained below, for once acting as the guards for their shinobi relatives, as they went to mourn the loss of their leader.


	5. While the Search for Tsunade was happening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Repercussions for actions during the invasion are many and have far reaching consequences.
> 
> Shikako is forced to be that most terrible thing- sociable...
> 
> (And this is where the little pebbles of change turn into boulders.)

1.) Shikako, Ino and Chouji lingered after the memorial service, awkwardly waiting for their teacher to move away from his father's picture.

“He did say right after the memorial service, right?” Ino asked Chouj. He nodded and showed her the crumpled note.

“Not a good sign,” Ino muttered to Shikako.

When Asuma approached them finally, they stood at attention. Although he looked mostly alright, Asuma reeked of smoke, much more than usual.

“So,” Asuma tried to smile, “Alright so-” that was as far as he got before Chouji flung himself around his middle, Ino and Shikako following a blink later.

“O-Okay,” hesitantly Asuma raised his arms as the girls wrapped their arms around him on either side of Chouji, “If you guys- if you really need a hug,” he patted the girls shoulders gingerly, “It's gonna be okay, everything is going to be fine,” He seemed more convinced of his own words by the time they pulled away.

“So I hear you all has an exciting time during the invasion,” he said casually, fiddling with his pack of cigarettes.

“I slapped a civilian hard enough to make her bleed!”

“I killed two sound-nin with a body I possessed!”

“I was useless.”

“And people I loved died at the hands of someone I once called an uncle...” This time when the genin moved to hug him, Asuma was less tense, even put his arms around their shoulders properly.

“I've read all the official reports and some of the classified ones too: Chouji, you did the right thing stopping that woman from opening the safe-house door. She was hysterical and the 12 other civilians support your actions and believe you saved their lives. We'll work on your strength control for next time.  
“Ino- you were amazing and saved two chunin with your quick thinking. You did what you've been trained to do. Just keep seeing your therapist and talking to your family, you're going to be fine.  
“Shikako,” Asuma put a hand on her shoulder, kneeling down to look her in the eye. “You were not useless, you fought off a powerful genjutsu, you got your team out of a dangerous situation and lead civilians to safety. You did what the ANBU asked and got out of a bad situation unharmed.  
I'm so proud of all of you.”

Their final hug was their best yet.

“Okay,” Ino pulled out of the hug first and briskly wiped away a few tears, “So everyone from the clans has invited you everywhere tonight. What are you in the mood for? Our Grandfathers,” she waved at Chouji and herself, “...are breaking out the really good wine and looking to reminisce. But if you just want to party Uncle Shouchi is hosting at the Hairless Duck.”

“My grandma is leading a reflection ceremony at the fire temple until midnight,” Chouji volunteered, “There'll be her famous 7 flavour cake and tea afterwords. And uh...my dad said he'd be happy to help you with any clan head que-”

“My mom's got a grievance meeting with the homeless and displaced, if you're in the mood for petty bureaucracy and small-mindedness,” Interrupted Shikako “And half my aunts are running a soup kitchen by the arena if you want to work mindlessly until you collapse.”

“Some of those options sound great, really.” Asuma looked back to the flower covered portraits, “But I have other duties.”

“We understand.”

“Still want cake and really good wine though?”

“Yeah, maybe later in the evening.”

“We've got your back sensei.”

 

2.) While Chouji charmed cake out of his grandmother, Ino and Shikako appropriated wine by taking their relatives drink requests, going into the bar's kitchen to get the bottles and then calmly walking out the back door, a bottle under each arm.

“How long until the men realise we're not coming with their drinks?” asked Ino idly. Shikako snorted.

They met up with Chouji, cake carefully wrapped and reached the Sarutobi small holding as dusk fully settled.

Asuma was putting his nephew to bed so they left their gifts with his sister at the door and walked back. The wooded path slowly gave way to a splendid view of the Hokage Monument as they debated where they should go for dinner.

“-but he always makes such a big deal when I ask what's low-fat, so maybe we should go to Auntie Soo for desert.”

“I don't want to walk to two more places, then have to walk all the way home.” Shikako whined.

“Okay fine, your great-auntie for supper, we stop next door at Chouji's uncle for pastries and you both sleep over at my house.”

“...promise no dress up this time.” Chouji said hesitantly.

“Oh come on! Shikako, talk some sense into him.”

“What's that orange spot on the Second Hokage's head?” Shikako asked off handedly.

They stopped and stared off into the dark distance.

“Orange spot... Naruto?” Ino pursed her lips.

“He wouldn't graffiti the Hokages again would he, not today of all days.” Asked Chouji in concern.

“He was very close to the Third, he called him Grandfather...” Shikako said slowly.

All three stood in silence, until Ino voiced what they were all thinking. “You don't think,” She made a dropping motion with her hand.

“No way, not Naruto.” Chouji tried to sound convincing. Shikako pursed her lips so hard they hurt.

They stood in silence for a beat more. Then...

“Troublesome”

They broke into a run, up to the Hokage monument.

 

3) Shikako got there first, thanks to Chouji giving her a boost to jump from one flight of stairs to the next one. Ino had run back to the village to get backup.

“Naruto,” she gasped as she crawled up onto the top of the Second's head, “How's it going?”

“Shikako?” Naruto turned from the very edge of the monument, his legs dangling over the cliffside. “What are you doing here so late?”

“Couldn't sleep.” she lied.

“Yeah, me too.” he turned back to the view of the village in the dark.

Shikako got her breath back, trying to think of a way to get the potentially suicidal boy away from the neck breaking drop. “So, what's on your mind?”

“I don't know. So much stuff about Gaara and the village and...sadness. I wish I could ask the old man, he's always so good at explaining things to me...”

Shikako flinched at his absent-minded use of present tense. She tried to rally, “We're almost chunin now- we need to start working things out for ourselves.” Like the mystery of Naruto, the Fourth Hokage and alleged monsters in boy-shaped form.

“But you're smart and I'm not,” It was kinda sad how a matter-of-fact Naruto sounded.

“You beat Kiba and Hinata, you went up against Gaara and lived. That had to take some kind of smarts. Why don't you come over here and tell me all about it.”

“I just…. can't”

“My dad always tells me a story, when I can't sleep,” Chouji had silently joined them. He sat down cross-legged next to Shikako, “Come sit with us and I'll tell you my favourite.”

Naruto looked at him with a pensive look that did not belong on his face.

“Yes, story time!” Shikako grabbed at the excuse and settled down in a sprawl, “Get over here Naruto.”

“Okay,” Naruto got up slowly and settled down a bit away from them. Chouji gestured for him to come closer.

“Long ago, when the world was younger, this whole valley was Akamichi Land. It wasn't as green as it is now, not as prosperous or fertile but it gave us enough to live on and support our vassals.  
We even had enough land to let a certain nomadic clan winter their deer here, in exchange for their medicine and meat.  
And in spring we welcomed a shinobi clan to our lands, to trade crops and plants and information.  
And then one day just as winter turns to spring two messengers arrived at our door...”

Shikako let the soft voice of Chouji, telling the story she knew like her own heartbeat, lull her spinning mind into quiet contemplation.

~

She woke up to the sound of Kiba arguing with Ino over how and when the Inuzuka eventually joined Konoha, Hinata and Chouji trying to hush them. She was curled up with a sleeping Sakura, under a shared blanket she recognised as Ino's. She squirmed out as Naruto sat up from his own blanket.

“What are all of you doing here?” he demanded, wiping sleep out of his eyes.

“We heard you were throwing yourself off the Monument, so we came to watch.”

Ino smacked Kiba on the arm. Hinata gingerly approached Naruto and gave him a bag, “We brought you ramen,” Hinata edged back to stand with his team. Further away Sasuke still managed to let his snort of disdain be heard.

Sakura woke up to scold Naruto on his lack of table manners as he loudly ate his breakfast. Shikako stretched and accepted a cup of water from Chouji. “Did we really spend the whole night on top of a cliff?”

“You did, when Ino arrived with the others it was past midnight, so we just moved back a bit and stayed up talking.”

“Your cousin's team is approaching,” Shino turned to Hinata “Will you be able to remain calm Hinata?”

“Yeah, be cool Hinata!” Kiba agreed.

“I'll remain calm if he does,” Hinata sniffed. Hyuuga drama, what a thing to wake up to.

Shikako had just managed to shake off her grogginess when Team Gai appeared. Lee was in crutches and his team-mates flacked him. How he got up there was undoubtedly a testament to teamwork, training and against medical orders.

“Good-morning everyone! Here to seize the moment and welcome a new day?” Lee's voice silenced the small talks among the other genin.

“Yeah sure.”

“Whatever.”

“Troublesome.”

Muttering and complaining, with a few dirty looks and sullen stares, the twelve somehow ended up standing in a line on the clifftop, facing the sun as it rose to shine on the village.

Shikako let out a little sigh, lifting her face towards the beautiful rays of light. She told herself that today would be a good day.

“So... when do you think Shikako and I will get our chunin jackets?” Of course Naruto knew just how to ruin a special moment.

“Excuse you!”

“What makes you think you're getting a promotion and not me?”

Loud arguing echoed across the valley as Konoha woke to another day.

 

4.) Shikako's night out went mostly unremarked upon, apart from some eyebrow wagging by her more irritating second cousins and once-removed uncles. Undoubtedly her father and the upper ranked family members had known exactly where she was and with who she had spent the night. The lack of comment made Shikako certain that Naruto's background was more than she had been led to believe.

Her absence meant she was stuck with the chore no one else had wanted: straightening out her grandfather's storeroom and taking inventory of what needed to be replaced. Shikagawa sat on his chair by the doorway, occasionally telling her what she was doing wrong.

When he called to her to go outside and get his pipe from the stairs (three steps away from him, but requiring her to climb down a ladder and walk across the room) she started plotting her escape, family duties be damned.

As she handed the pipe to him, a voice spoke from behind her, “This your kid, Shika?” a tall man asked, appearing without any warning at the stairs to the storehouse. Shikako turned and readied her chakra, poised to pull out a weapon.

“This is my granddaughter Jiraiya,” Shikagawa stood slowly and put his hands on her shoulders, making their shadows merge together on the wall besides them. “My eldest's eldest.”

“Granddaughter?” Jiraiya (the Jiraiya?) shook his head in bemusement, “Now that really makes me feel old.”

“We can't all be wondering toad hermits,” said Shikagawa calmly, “Future generations have to come from somewhere.”

Shikako glanced up at her grandfather’s face. He was alert but relaxed, not expecting to fight. Powerful ally. Owed respect but not a threat, his body language told her.

She squared her shoulders. She had a duty to a comrade to perform and she was safe on her family's lands. “You're the teacher Naurto talks about,” she accused. 

“He's been boasting about me has he?” his chest puffed out with importance.

“He calls you a pervert,” she folded her arms and gave him her most serious look. “Naruto may be a clan-less orphan but he does have allies concerned with his well-being. Keep that in mind when you correct his stances.”

Her grandfather's hands tightened on her shoulders, but he said nothing. If Jiraiya took offence Shikagawa could use their combined shadows to attack and Shikako had a red smoke bomb that would bring the clan running..

Jiraiya laughed heartily. “I'm glad to hear it. Now I know I've come to the right place. The squirt and I need provisions in a hurry and I immediately thought my old war comrade.”

“Travel supplies huh?” Shikagawa moved his hands off Shikako's shoulders. “Go get our customer a chair and something to drink, girl. Then bring the order book.”

“Customer? I thought this could just be a favour between friends.”

“So let's keep it friendly and on the books.” Shikagawa settled down into his chair again, getting his pipe ready to smoke.

“I introduced you to your wife!”

“And I still have the scars because you used me as a body shield.”

“But she felt so bad about it she accepted your dinner invite.”

Shikako brought a matching chair over, then with a wave of Shikagawa's hand, the good tea set. Shikagawa would brew the tea right there in front of his customer, with a tea mix he ceremoniously let Jiraiya sniff and check for poison. Shikako brought over the large order book, rumoured to have every business deal done since Hashirama Senju approached the Nara clan with a dream in his heart and numerous rare saplings in his hand.

“Not to be rude but I am in a bit of a hurry,” Jiraiya said as Shikagawa took another slow inhale on his pipe while Shikako got the order book open to the right page.

“Then you should of gone to a convince store.” Shikagawa gave Shikako his pipe and waved her off, settling his hands together with a serious look on his face. “Now, let us begin.”

~

Later, after an hour of haggling over supplies, amounts and payment, Shikagawa watched over Shikako as she assembled two bags of provisions.

“I shouldn't need to tell you that you keep this meeting and arrangement to yourself,” he said as she climbed up a ladder to get more dried meat. 

“No sir,” she said, grabbing some dried fruit too. 

“I'll show you how to hide the order with a special ink, so not just anyone can read it.”

“Yes sir,” she grabbed an orange drawstring bag that had been destined for the rag bag and packed home-made travel mix and powdered soup into it.

“That's pretty high grade stuff, for a clan-less orphan,” he observed as she rolled the bag as small as possible. 

“He's a former classmate. And a Sannin's apprentice.” Silence confirmed her guess at Jiraiya's true identity, “Can't hurt to show a bit of favouritism. Might be useful someday.”

Silence. Then Shikagawa actually left her to pack in peace while he got something from his personal cupboard. He put a bag of food pills on the table. “Blue ones with his water flask. Light green ones crushed and added to the soup mix.” he said quietly.

“You sure?” Food pills could only be gotten from the Akamichi and the Nara very rarely gave away their share.

“Yes,” Shikagawa walked back to his chair. “Teenage boys have a beast's appetite, you know.”

 

5.) Shikako was not surprised she ended up delivering the supplies to Naruto. Nor was she much surprised at his apartment's location in the less affluent neighbourhood. She was impressed with his appliances, and resolved to work out how to take advantage of his very rare washing machine. What did surprise her is when he asked her for advice.

"I need to talk to someone, someone smart." he said, stopping his efforts to fit everything into his huge travel pack.

"Sakura's smart" Shikako pointed out, ignoring the prickle of jealously she felt. Laze about your entire school career and somehow the civilian born girl gets all the credit as the clever one.

“Yeah but, you always explain stuff so plainly, I understand you better."

"Okay" Shikako smiled at him, knowing it wasn't Naruto's nature to flatter insincerely.

"Hinata told me he had to win the exams, or he'd end up sealed like Neji."

"Yeah," Shikako winched. That bit of the finals, where the Hyuuga heir spilled secrets that should never be spoken of in public, let alone an arena of foreigners, that bit she was hoping would be forgotten due to the invasion.

"...and I got so mad, that he really thought I'd throw the fight."

"Okay," That bit she hadn't known about, which hopefully meant no one else knew either. If word got out that the Hyuuga heir tried to cheat the combat part of the exam Konoha would suffer an even bigger loss of reputation.

“His family won't really seal him, will they? Not any time soon? Cause I promised him I'd stop them when I'm Hokage but that won't be for ag-"

"Whoa," Shikako held up a hand. "You can not make those kind of promises."

"But..."

"A Hokage can suggest changes in clan policy, bribe or threaten them maybe, make an argument for how it would improve Konoha as a whole. But he can not outright order an entire clan to change their laws. That sort of thing has to be done from within."

Naruto gave Shikako a blank stare. She looked away and started to repack his own huge bag of travel supplies into a smaller size.

"It's like...." she cast around, trying to think of an explanation for something she'd always known as fact. The Hokage held unlimited power over individuals, but the clan families ruled themselves. There was a certain amount of give and take, respect shown on both sides, but that was the bottom line.

"If the Hokage did have that kind of power, to command changes to an entire clan, my family would have deserted in the last war."

Naruto's jaw dropped and he started to wave his hands in objection.

Shikako continued, pulling out four cooking pots from his bag and putting them to the side. "You heard Chouji's story on the monument, we Nara were nomads, before Konoha. We lived as herders and traders, our jutsu came about as a way to steer our cattle, then to fight away bandits on the road.  
Even when we settled in Konoha permanently, we still had strong links with other nomad groups. And that's why my great uncle came under suspicion, for marrying a woman from the Trading Tribes outside Iwa. The thirds Hokage hinted heavily that he wanted her confined to the POW prison - for her own safety of course - not because he wanted insider knowledge of routes and roads into Iwa." Shikako frowned down into an unpacked snow coat. "Information she didn't have, the Tribes never take their girls on raiding routes."

Naruto's mouth was opening and closing as if he desperately wanted to interrupt but no sound came from his mouth.

"Nessa was old for a first pregnancy but we needed an heir. My grandfather and father were on the front lines, unlikely to survive. The Nara chose to ignore the Hokage's strong request that we turn her over for Interrogation." She shrugged, "But Nessa miscarried and died, late in her pregnancy. And the Hokage had no insider source on Iwa."  
"My great uncle committed sepaku and my grandfather was recalled from the front to grovel very hard." She swallowed, the image of her proud grandfather on his knees before the council, unable to show his sorrow at so much death at home. Her grandmother had been compelled to have another child after that, which killed her. All for nothing, as her father survived the war a celebrated strategist and proceeded to network and politic his way up into his current role, all to remove the stain from his clan.

"If the Hokage had had complete power he could have taken Nessa from us, had she died while under his care, we would have blamed him. And we would have abandoned Konoha. Because you can't fuck around when it comes to family." With a strong pull she tied the top of his pack shut and dropped it to the floor with a thump.

Naruto finally managed to speak. "Konoha is family."

“To be without Konoha is the worse fate I can imagine. But I can't imagine life without my clan. They are the clothes on my back and the food in my belly. Konoha had honed me into a weapon, but the Nara made the steel." Shikako waved to her clan insignia on her jacket. "I am my clan and the clan is me, but the clan stands for Konoha as long as Konoha stands for the clan. Unless you can prove the Hyuuga is failing in it's duty to Konoha by sealing it's children, there is nothing you can do.”

Naruto slammed his fists on the table. "How can you say that! How can you wear that headband and tell me you won't fight for Konoha no matter what!”

"I didn't say that. I fought in the invasion, my family is wearing themselves to the bone getting Konoha back to it's full strength. Because whenever we get a new Hokage he will be too occupied with keeping Konoha safe to worry about orphans getting meals and families rebuilding their lives.

Naruto stared at her, the start of tears in his eyes. "Old Man always made sure I got meals."

She smiled sadly "I'm sure he did." This didn't seem to be enough, ¨I know he loved you very much."

Shikako watched as Naruto sank to the floor in tears. Slowly, uncomfortably she knelt down in front of him. "Hey, hey Naruto?" she put her hands on his heaving shoulders. "You know the Jiraiya was the student of Third Hokage, like Jiraiya is your teacher and Asuma is mine? Asuma is the Third's son. That kinda makes us family," Naruto looked up at her in disbelief. She rubbed his back. "We are linked by the lines of students and masters, and we are shinobi of Konoha. I'll stand by you as long as you stand by me, okay?"

"Okay," Naruto carried on crying. Shikako gave up her unaffected front and hugged him like he was one of her smaller cousins.

He got snot all over her shirt.

 

6.) "Alright," The men looked up at Shikagawa, scattered around the clearing deep in the Nara forest. "Anyone getting anywhere?"

Elders and youngsters, civilians and shinobi, every male not urgently needed somewhere else, muttered negatives.

They turned to Shikako, who shrugged uncomfortably. This had been going on for over an hour and still no one had managed to use her new technique.

“Once more,” commanded a jounin uncle.

Shikako huffed and focused, shifting to intangible and then nodding. The jounin threw a kuni straight through her, embedding on a tree some way behind her.

"You really can't see a difference." he remarked impressed. "Even if you know what's going to happen, there's no way of telling until something goes through her.”

"There's a dirty joke in there somewhere," mused a fellow genin. He got a slap upside the head from his father.

"How come you don't fall through the ground?" asked one of the very young academy students.

"Chakra in the grass keeps me from falling through. I've got to really concentrate to let stuff with chakra pass. And on stone and dirt I use the water walking technique." Shikako pointed to her grass covered toes. “Hence the bare feet.”

"What about if you're holding something when you use the blood-limit?" Shikagawa said the name awkwardly.

"If it's small it goes intangible too, otherwise it just falls through me too."

"Intangible, is that what you're calling it?"

"Till a better name turns up."

"What happens if you release it go while in something?"

"I've only tested with water and wood- they just displace around me. My hand got stuck in a log, the wood that had been where my hand was just got pushed into the area right around my hand, I had no room for movement at all, but it didn't hurt me at all."

"That makes no sense." Shikagawa rubbed his temples tiredly.

"But using our shadows to catch deer is just normal right?"

"Point." Shikagawa raised his voice, ending the soft conversation other Naras had started around him. "Let's run through the facts again. You relax your chakra, you go intangible. You can't breath with it on, various materials don't work with it..."

"My shoes fall off half the time, anything rubber or metal acts weird. And I have to really concentrate, my balance is off with a lot less weight. My hearing gets funny, like I'm underwater. And I have to focus on not sinking through the ground as I walk, but letting other stuff go through me but not solidifying with anything in me."

"I've worked out the dirty joke!" This time both his father and his grandfather swatted the rude genin.

"Have you tried to...shift through a person yet." Uncle Hiroya asked with cautious interest.

Shikako pouted. "It felt really weird when I went through a deer, and it didn't like it either. Bugs and birds appear a bit shaken when they fly through me, and it kinda feels like it should hurt, but doesn't."

"It might be your chakra interacting directly with their's." pondered Hiroya, "Practising to suppress your chakra, or move it out of the way when you go through something, that might help." He looked cheerful. "Perhaps some medic-"

"No medic training!" Shikako interrupted. Uncle Hiroya had been pushing for her to be a medic-nin since she could walk.

"So..."

Everyone shook their head and shifted uneasily.

Shikagawa clapped his hands, signalling then end of the meeting. “Hell if I know. Drinks anyone?"

Everyone agreed that drinks were in order.

"Shikako?" Her grandfather tilted his head in the direction of the nearest house and drinks fridge.

"Why do I have to go? I've just discovered a new bloodlimit." Shikako stuck her lower lip out even further than usual.

"You're a long way off from perfecting it. But you have a point."

And for once Shikako was not one of the youngsters sent off to get alcohol.

 

7.) "So how's Asuma doing?" a deer farmer uncle asked Shikako as he reached for a bottle.

"I think he's going to be fine." Shikako sipped her tiny amount of beer, "He's recovering." He had taken her aside after their team meeting to tell her how proud he was of her performance in the finals and after them, subtly asking questions about the ANBU that had held her against the barrier and caused her to slip through. Hopefully he would not blame him for her failure to bring down the barrier and get help to his father.

"So he's woken up then?" Cousin Sumi opened his third bottle single-handedly, lack of a left arm not slowing his drinking.

"Woken up?"

"I mean from the deep fog of depression." he said smoothly, meeting Shikako's eyes a little too deliberately, "Do you think Kada's wife will retire any time soon? She's getting a little too old to put off babies."

Shikako put down her glass slowly, biting back her first hundred responses.

"Only, Haru Akamiki is knocked up and Inochi's sister just got hitched, would be nice to have another Ino-Shika-Cho in the works. Since your team will only keep going till you and Ino-chan marry."

"Really." Shikako was proud of the way she kept her voice neutral.

"And Maya can't keep gallivanting about as a jounin. She knew she would have duties to perform when she married in to the clan."

"But I thought we didn't tell women about our disastrous miscarriage rates until after they were wedded and stuck with us." Shikako said lightly.

"Come on Shikako," another cousin next to her frowned. "We don't talk about that stuff."

"No, why should we?" Shikako stood up.

She looked around the clearing full of drinking men, all of whom she had known since her birth. The strangest feeling of displacement hit her. She didn't belong here with her family, who hid things from her and didn't try to understand her at all.

"I'm going to find Mom. She has stuff for me to do," she glared down at Sumi then walked away quickly. She ignored the calls for her to bring refills or take excuses to their own womenfolk. A few asked Sumi what he said to upset her.

"Nothing. Typical woman, upset for no reason."

 

8.) Shikako found her mother in Hiroya's kitchen, planning food parcels with his wife Yuzu. She gave a brief report on what had happened, then knelt and put her head in her great-aunt Sayi's lap. "Why are men so stupid?" she asked softly.

"Because they can afford to be." Sayi said sadly, gently carding her finger through Shikako's hair.

Shikako sighed and waited until her mother was occupied with arguing about which groups had priority for sugar rations. "Granny Sayi?"

"Yes sweet child?"

"Is Asuma-sensei going to be alright?"

"Of course he will be. That awful traitor's genjutsu will wear off soon and he'll be back to normal."

"What?" Shikako sat up and turned back to her mother. "Mom!"

"Leave it Shika-chan," Yoshino waved her hand without looking up from her food lists. "The situation is being handled. This might be the catalyst we need to drag Tsunade back."

"Won't that be wonderful Shikako?" Sayi's wrinkles disappeared into her smile, "A female Hokage - what a marvellous thing for us all."

"Please," Yuzu emerged from her pantry with a large bag of rice. "Senji's been out of the village for decades, she won't have a support system to do anything but what the council wants."

Shikako put her head back in Sayi's lap and thought furiously, trying to sort out the revaluations she was undergoing. She put her worry over Asuma to the side, his recovery was linked to this mess, she knew it.

Tsunade was one of the great sannin like Jiraiya, Jiraiya was on a journey with Naruto. Konoha needed a new Hokage. Naruto looked like the Fourth Hokage, who had killed the Kyuubi. Who, rumour had it, had reappeared when Naruto fought the Sand's demon bearer.

("There's a demon in me too," Naruto had said to Gaara, as they stood in the unconscious Lee's hospital room.)

Shikako had thought he was being metaphorical, talking about his anger and drive to be acknowledged. Not an actual demon in his actual body. Her eyes twitched as she remembered all the times he had been teased in class and on the street. What the hell was everyone thinking, letting a demon bearer be treated so badly. The good quality appliances in his apartment made sense now, money could be spared to keep the demon keeper appeased. She started to shake a little, remembering her interactions with him of late.

"But what if she doesn't return?" Auntie Sayi was asking as Shikako calmed herself down. Naruto was firmly pro-Konoha and considered her a friend. Maybe that was why her family had not told her, better a true alliance than a false friendship?

"We pack up and leave for Snow country." Yuzu said in her native tongue. Yoshino couldn't understand her as Shikako could but she shot her a warning look anyway.

“I mean what happens to Sarutobi-san?”

“The Yamanaka could probably heal him, but the public hospital won't let anyone not on their staff near him. Son of the hokage and all.” Yuzu frowned.

“Oh,” Shikako gave Sayi her best sad look, the subtle, resigned one she had learnt from her mother. “So there's nothing we can do to help sensei?”

Sayi looked down at the only young girl in the clan, the closest thing she would ever have to a granddaughter. She pressed a thumb over Shikako's pouting lips. “I'm sure we can come up with something.”

 

9.) Operation Awaken-Asuma was in effect. Shikako had strict instructions to turn up for front desk duty at her uncle's clinic that evening and very publicly breakdown at news of her teacher's coma, when it accidentally reached her. That should be enough for a conveniently nearby Chouza to be outraged and demand something be done. Further planning should lead to Asuma being seen to by that evening. Shikako had been sent out with a list of medical supplies they may need, while replenishing the deer's salt rations.

The deer, intent on getting at her bag of salt, made this almost impossible. They nudged and pawed at her, preventing her from getting to the boxes she needed to refill.

"Are you going to help or what," she asked Shino, who had been lurking in the distance for a while. He slowly came forward and accepted her bag of salt. While the deer concentrated on him, Shikako was able to get to the salt box and fill it. "You stuck with family chores too?"

"I am unable to resume my usual duties and chores. Why? Because I was poisoned while defeating Kankuro of the Sand."

"Yeah, Chouji told me you went after the Kazekage's kids. There's a lot of crazy rumours flying about over what exactly happened out there."

Silence.

Shikako finished with the salt and pushed her away out of the crowd of deer now fighting to get at the box. One enterprising doe followed her, licking her hands clean.

"Naruto Uzumaki is a surprising ninja," Shino finally answered her unspoken question.

"That's what the people say," agreed Shikako, rubbing the doe's small antlers.¨We were classmates with him for years and he still surprises me."

Shino put his hand on the doe's back. Several ticks and fleas fell off it's legs and scurried away. "One can never tell if Naruto is being very stupid or very cunning."

"Can't he be both?"

"A ninja of Konoha who transforms into a giant fox can not afford to be stupid."

"That parts true?" Shikako pouted. "Typical Naruto."

"Is it true your family has a new shadow jutsu?" The question would have come off as casual if it wasn't Shino asking. He had never been one for polite chitchat.

Shikako made a split second decision. Shino had been a loyal friend to Chouji for years, and though the Aburame had never been allies, they had never been enemies either. The power balance of Konoha was in flux, a show of trust would be better in the long run.

Shikako looked straight into his glasses and went intangible, throwing in a set of hand-signs for show. The bug on her neck opened it's wings and fluttered in circles through and around her, before returning to its host.

Shino's cheeks went slightly pink as Shikako released the jutsu and looked at the bug with a smirk. ¨That one needs to work on it's stealth."

"She's still recovering," he said, in an almost defensive tone. As a kind of reciprocation he raised his arm, palm held up towards Shikako. His coat sleeve slid down, revealing the bug hole on his wrist.

Shikako held a composed look as the bug wiggled into it. "The jutsu still pretty experimental," her face broke into a grin, ¨We're still working out the bugs."

She didn't need to to see Shino's eye to know he was rolling them in disgust at her pun.

 

10) "Well that was fun, wasn't it?" Kakashi smiled into his book as the exhausted genin followed him, blinking frantically in the sunlight. They had spent five hours sorting out the post office records, somehow escalating into a competition over who could repair and copy the most records first. First Sasuke had cheated by using his sharingan (and now Shikako could legitimately join in the chorus of 'bloody dojutsu' next time she was in the bar with her father). Then Sakura had speed up, with little difficulty. The unusual urge to beat them both had come over Shikako but it passed and she had carried on slowly reassembling letters, stopping to read anything that looked interesting. 

Sakura and Sasuke had given her increasingly angry looks, which Shikako ignored. Sasuke had even tried to loom over her threateningly. Shikako have given him her best I'm-one-sharp-word-away-from-tears until he went way. Sakura growled and worked even faster to make up for Shikako's slowness.

Outside after the mission Sakura ignored Shikako and chatted at Sasuke, who ignored her. Frankly this team-up was a mess. "Can I go home now?" Shikako whined at Kakashi.

"You need to be present for the debriefing.”

“No I don't. Only the jounin and genin teamleader has to be present to get paid.” Shikako waved a hand back at the other two genin. “I trust Sakura to make a good report and keep my share of the fee till tomorrow.”

Kakashi's one visible eye twitched at her. Twin inhales behind them told Shikako she had just made a slight mistake.

“What do you mean team leader?”

“There can be a team leader?”

Shikako turned. “I just assumed Sakura was the leader. Since she's so smart.” That came out a bit too sweetly, even Sasuke could tell she was baiting them. “I'm sure Ino would be happy to be team leader if you guys want me to swap with her.”

Conflicted feelings flitted across both genin's faces. Shikako turned back to Kakashi, “Can I go home now?”

“You really are Shikagawa's grandchild.” Again Jiraiya managed to sneak up on her. She was starting to understand why he was so successful at spying at bathhouses. “You even have the same tone of voice he had when we were kids.”

“Aren't you supposed to be on a mission with Naruto?” Kakashi's posture straightened up slightly, suddenly seeming a lot less fun to irritate.

“Oh we accomplished our mission alright.” Jiraiya gave a small grin. “Not in the way I had expected, but I have a good feeling about the outcome.” He waved a hand behind him. “Naruto's safely back too, he ran off to talk to some academy teacher.”

Shikako made a note to take some leftovers over to him, since Naruto was unlikely to remember he had no food in his apartment.

“You brought back what we needed?”

“Nope. The brat and I talked it over and we agreed that I was a better choice.”

Kakashi and Shikako's jaws dropped. Sakura and Sasuke drew closer, sensing something important was going on. “Better choice for what?” asked Sakura.

“Hokage of course.” Jiraiya struck a pose.

_Forgot leftovers._ Thought Shikako numbly. She would cook the Hokage's apprentice dinner from scratch and interrogate him as she did so. 

 

And the one thing that stayed the same.)

 

“I'm sorry, what?" Inochi looked up from the reports he had been scanning as Danzo droned on about strength, power and a united front.

"The exams must be regrettably be declared void, until the results can be investigated." Danzo repeated.

Inochi put down his report and focused all his attention on the council member. "What results are you questioning?" he raised his voice slightly, getting the attention of other attendees whose attention had drifted.

"Hyuuga Neji defeated 8 sound-nins single handedly, but was unable to fight against his younger cousin in a match, a cousin who was then defeated by the last place graduate of his own class. Does that not seem suspicious to you?"

Inochi frowned. "But that's just internal clan politics. If my girl and Shikaku's had been placed against each other, they might have easily thrown the match and let the one who needed to advance more go through."

"Do you want an unsealed Hyuuga to go to another village's chunin exam, Danzo?" asked the Akado clan head with rasied eyebrows.

"I want Konoha to be seen as strong, not weak against our own!"

"We drove off Orochimaru and won a surrender from Suna, what could have been a stronger outcome?" asked the ANBU Commander from the very back of the hall.

"Orochimaru dead!" Danzo hit his cane against the floor.

"True."

"No argument here."

Inochi took a breath and tried to be reasonable. "It seems a waste of time and resources, especially while recovering from an invasion, to declare the entire exam invalid. We need new chunin. With academy students doing the easier work of genin, having new shinobi capable of leading or working independently would be a great benefit.

“Perhaps we can offer an alternative exam for our own genin. Something like the Academy graduation-” a civilian official tried to reason.

“I think we've given this generation enough coddling.” Danzo interrupted.

“Coddling?” Inochi stood up, “Ino Yamanaka killed two chunin single-handedly, Gai Maito's team took out more than fifteen. The Kazekage's children were defeated by codded genin and our-” He quickly considered what he could say out aloud in a room with lower level security “-our Naruto beat the Suna's not-so-secret weapon into the dirt. That is what our teaching and codding has achieved.”

There was silence. Danzo seemed to glare at him from both his remaining eye and his empty eye socket. There was silence in the hall.

“So we are agreed then,” said Danzo as Inochi sat down, wondering when he had stood up. “The exams will be declared void and we will host no more international events until we are fully recovered.”

Inochi nodded, picking up his documents. It was a pity for Shikako, but Danzo had so many good points. It was silly to argue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not happy with the conversations in this chapter. I feel they don't flow naturally. If anyone wants to tell me which bits really don't work for them, let me know and I might be able to fix them.


End file.
